Prepare For Battle, My Love
by IchatrinaObsessedSleepyGirl
Summary: Nerves and fumbling hands accompany the Crane's on their wedding night.


** I had this half written when a request came through for a story like this. Thanks for prompting me to finish it, Elizabeth Scarlette. I had fun writing it.**

**Anyway, here we go...**

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In all her life, there were very few places that she felt completely safe, where nothing and no one could get to her. She had never been a very trusting person. In her experience, people tended to only look out for themselves. It took a person of true character to gain her attention and very few had made the cut. Even then, she still tended to hold herself at a distance, not allowing anyone to truly gain access to her heart.

That is, until she'd met Ichabod Crane. He'd come in and consumed her very being. First, it was her thoughts he'd somehow gained control of. He had been such a different sort of man. Then, her dreams had seen his presence, dreams she would never reveal to a soul. Next, came her inner circle of friends. She allowed him in to her heart and life without much choice at all. Now, though, he was about to gain access to her body and she was more nervous than she'd ever been.

If it were anyone else here with her, she'd be wishing the moment away, hoping it would happen fast and then it would be over, but not him. Never in her life had she been more worried about making someone happy, about giving them everything she had to offer.

Looking in the mirror at her reflection, she released a nervous breath. He'd told her numerous times how beautiful she was and as she stared at herself, she tried to imagine what it was that he saw in her. Her red hair was an oddity in her opinion. No one else in town had hair the same shade as hers. She supposed her eyes were alright. They were green like her fathers, but as her gaze wandered down, she frowned. Her arms, pale with light freckles dotting them, always caused a sort of discomfort to fill her as she'd always thought she looked as though she were marred.

"Katrina?"

She caught his reflection in the mirror before spinning quickly to face him.

"Ichabod, I-has everyone left?"

He nodded with a slight frown. "Are you alright? You seem upset."

Inwardly cursing herself for concerning him, she shook her head. "I'm fine, I was just...thinking."

His eyes darted over her face for a moment before falling to his hands. "Good. That's...good."

She noticed his hard swallow and the nervous twisting of his hands.

"Are _you_ alright?"

His eyes jumped back to hers, wide and startled. "Yes. I'm just..."

"Nervous?" she finished.

A seemingly relieved breath left him. "Very."

"I am as well."

She wanted to touch him. Somehow touching him always calmed her, made her feel at ease, but for some reason, she couldn't quite make her legs move.

His eyes left hers again and fell to the floor. "If you don't want to...I'd understand."

"I want to," she answered a little too quickly. Gathering her courage, she stepped toward him and took his hands. "I love you."

A small smile lit his features as he gazed at her. "I love you, too."

Glancing down at their hands, she released another nervous breath. "I never thought I'd be here with someone I even liked, much less loved."

One of his hands pulled from hers and reached up to rest under her chin as he gently turned her face up to his. "Neither did I."

His eyes dropped to her mouth and she felt her heart begin to throb against her chest as he ever so slowly leaned closer to her, gently brushing his lips over her own.

Fire erupted through her.

After a moment, his hands fell to her waist, tightening about her to pull her closer against him. The hard press of his body to hers was something she found she quite enjoyed as she slid her hands up into his hair. It was pulled back with a simple band of leather that she wanted gone immediately. As she pulled at it, his dark hair fell down about his shoulders, causing her to smile into their kiss.

He pulled back from her slightly. "What?"

"It's just," she lightly laughed. "I've never seen you with your hair down before."

He raised his eyebrows. "And?"

She smiled brighter, finding the dark locks framing his face to be more different than she'd imagined they would. "I love it."

He chuckled. "Well, that's good to know." He nodded to her. "Your turn?"

Laughing, she reached up and pulled out the pins holding her hair in place. Hers took a moment longer than his, but finally it fell about her shoulders resulting in a smile from him as he reached up to run his fingers through it. "I prefer your hair this way."

She rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that. My hair is horrible."

A shocked expression came to his face. "What? It's beautiful."

"No, it's not," she muttered self-consciously. "It's odd in color and too thick. It's awful to deal with."

Shaking his head, he smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about. I think it's color is unique and I already love running my fingers through it."

He always could make her feel special.

"Ichabod-"

His mouth covered hers again before she could finish her sentence and this time his kiss was more insistent. When his tongue pressed against her lips, she nearly jumped right off the floor, but instinct guided her as she opened for him, the feeling of his tongue inside her pulling a moan from her. Wanting to be closer to him, she pulled back slightly and sucked in a shaky breath.

His look of confusion prompted a small smile from her.

"Help me," she whispered before tuning in his arms. After a moment, she felt his hands at her neck as he began with the various laces and buttons along her back. His fingers would brush her skin every so often and she could feel the light tremor in them as they continued down her back, bringing a small smile to her face at his nervousness. Once he was finished, she turned back to face him, sliding the heavy dress from her shoulders. His couple of hard swallows weren't lost on her as his eyes followed the dresses path, giving her a small amount of confidence in herself. The heavy material's absence was welcome as she stepped from it before reaching up to begin on the laces of her corset, never once taking her eyes from his.

She thought he might not be breathing as he watched her. He certainly looked as though he weren't. But then, he stepped forward and replaced her hands with his own.

"Let me."

With a nod, she found a place for her hands on his upper arms as his fingers worked at the laces, occasionally brushing the sides of her breasts, to which he would glance up to her eyes uncertainly.

"While these are lovely, I must say, I don't like them."

She chuckled, relieved he was breaking the tension. "Why?"

His eyes moved to hers. "Because they take entirely too long."

A smile lit her face as his hands reached the end and paused. She loved that he appeared just as nervous about seeing her as she was about him seeing her. He was so sweet in that way. While in every other area, he always appeared self-confident, the fact that he wasn't exhibiting his usual tendency of knowing everything here with her made her love him all the more.

Saving him from his uncertainty, she reached up and removed the material herself. The look that crossed his face as it hit the floor filled her with confidence once more. Stepping to him, she grabbed his hands and brought them to her waist causing his eyes jumped to hers all wide and terrified.

"Are you alright?" she asked with a chuckle.

"I-You're beautiful."

It was the way he said it that caused the flutter in the pit of her belly, his voice pure and true.

After a moment of his eyes sliding over her form, he slowly leaned in to her, his lips brushing over hers. The feeling in her belly began to build as his hands lightly glided upward to rest along the underside of her breasts, until unexpectantly, his thumbs gently slid over her nipple, causing her breath to hitch.

"Ichabod..."

At her whisper, he pulled away from her slightly, catching her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Unable to contain herself, she quickly reached up to the top button of his shirt and slipped it through the opening before moving to the next one. By the time she slipped the last one through, her heart was pounding. She'd seen Ichabod shirtless before as she'd had to stitch him up many a time, but the thought that she was now freely able to touch him the way she'd always thought about was slightly overwhelming as she slid her hands up his chest to rest at his shoulders before she pushed the material from him. As it fell to the floor behind him, she took in his bare upper body. He was thin, but not in a sickly sort of way. A man this thin would be expected to be ill, but Ichabod was anything but. Everything was hard and defined.

As her fingers stroked his chest, pausing at various scars he'd acquired, his arms tightened around her and pulled her into him, causing her to gasp. She didn't have but a moment to take in the feel of her soft breasts against his hard chest before his lips descended to hers once more, this time with more force behind his kiss and it filled her with a need she didn't realize she'd had before now.

The realization prompted her to want more of him and like a hungry beggar, her hands fell from his chest to his trousers to begin working the buttons. Once she had everything undone, she pulled back from him to push them down, but his hands covered hers before she could.

Frowning, she glanced up to find his eyes focused on her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

She smiled. "More than anything."

A nervous breath fell from him as he allowed her to resume her undressing of him. As his trousers fell away, her gaze raked over his desire, taking in its erect form.

Of course, being a nurse, she'd come across this part of men before, even having found herself becoming slightly aroused at the sight, but never had it been like this. An overwhelming need to reach out and touch him filled her, but before she could, his hands tugged at her to pull her back to him.

When his hands slid to her waist and pulled her close once more, her bare skin against his set her nerves on edge, the touch of his manhood pressing into her belly only furthering the feeling.

For a moment, his lips simply brushed hers before he began walking backward toward the bed, bringing her with him. As they stood alongside it, she pulled away from him slightly.

"Should I?" she gestured to the bed.

His eyes darted from it to her. "If-If you want."

"Ok."

She nervously sat on its edge before laying back. It didn't take Ichabod but a moment to follow her, covering her body with his own, the contrast of soft blankets beneath her and his hard form above her sending all sorts of sensations throughout her.

At first, he simply stared at her, his eyes gazing down into her own, their blue depths swirling with emotion. Then, ever so gently his hand slid to stroke her cheek, his thumb ghosting over her lips.

"You are so beautiful. Whatever are you doing here with me?"

A light chuckle escaped her. "I'm not sure. I think you might have tricked me into falling in love with you."

Smiling, his eyes darted to her mouth. "Is that so?"

"I believe it to be so, yes."

He shook his head, chuckling. "I didn't realize I possessed such a gift."

His lips bushed hers lightly again before they began trailing along her jaw.

Simply basking in the feel of his tender kisses, she brought one of her hands up to slide into the hair at the base of his neck, the other sliding under his arm to rest on his back. When his mouth ventured down her neck, he gently nipped at her collarbone causing her body to jerk slightly.

He lifted his head to glance up at her, his face etched in concern. "Did I hurt you?"

Quickly shaking her head, she whispered, "No, please don't stop."

The feeling had simply taken her by surprise.

A small smile filled his face before he resumed his journey, his mouth dragging down her chest until it came to the top of one of her breasts, resulting in his pausing.

Sensing his hesitation, she placed her hand to his cheek and assured him, "It's alright, my love."

At her words, he resumed his journey, his lips trailing along her skin. After a moment of light kisses, he encircled her nipple in his lips. The feeling that shot through her body forced her grip tighten in his hair as a moan fell from her lips. As his tongue slipped out and swirled, she jerked again, her thighs tightening around his hips, resulting in his body's shift and ultimately his desire to bump into her center, causing yet another ripple of pleasure to shoot through her.

"Ichabod..."

His lips trailed back up to her neck her neck leaving a generous amount of kisses in their wake. When his mouth once again slid over hers, she was quick to part her lips for him, though this time, she didn't wait for him and slid her own tongue into him, forcing his back as she explored his warm cavern.

It was wet and unlike anything she'd felt before. His taste was that of wine as he'd had a generous amount after the ceremony, no doubt to calm his nerves.

After a moment, he pulled from her and caught her eyes, his breathing erratic to match her own. There was something else there, too. It seemed like it might be anticipation, but for what it could be left her confused.

Frowning, she asked, "What-"

She slammed her head back into the pillow, eyes flying shut, as his fingers slid across her center. _Nothing_ had ever felt like this before. Without actually forming the thought to do so, she shifted her hips up, seeking more of him as he gently stroked her.

"That's..."

"Yes, my love?"

Opening her eyes, she tried to focus on him, but she could barely maintain it as somehow her body had become his and no longer her own. She wasn't exactly sure what she was asking for. All she knew, however, was that she didn't want him to stop.

With a smile, his lips fell to her exposed throat, adding to the already wonderful sensations coursing through her. Unable to properly formulate a response, she instead gripped his shoulders as she felt an indescribable feeling begin to build in her lower belly. The realization that his finger was now inside her took a moment to settle in, but when it did, another rush of want coursed through her as her own fingers dug into his skin. Breathing picking up, her body suddenly tensed and begin to spasm as the feeling finally burst through her.

A slight moan or two, perhaps even a curse, left her as she arched off the bed, her body pressing into his as it hovered over her. Everything went almost white as the sensations continued to course through her.

Once she settled back against the bed, she finally released the breath she'd been holding and opened her eyes. Catching his sea of blue, she found him staring at her intently.

"I've never felt anything like that before."

He leaned down close to her, his lips brushing over hers even as his fingers continued with gentle movements within her. "I'm desperate for you."

The look in his eyes was one she'd not seen before. "You are?"

Lips dragging along her cheek, he whispered. "So desperate."

Her eyes slid closed as the fingers of his other hand played at her ear, dancing back and forth over her lobe. When his body shifted over hers, she felt his desire brush her thigh, causing her to nearly jump at the feeling of it. Turning her head toward his, that was currently nipping at her jaw, she caught his eyes and found them to be much darker than usual.

"I'm ready."

He lifted his head slightly, his eyes darting all about her face. "Are you sure?"

Smiling slightly, she laid her hand along his cheek. "Yes, my love. I'm ready to be with you. Completely."

His throat bobbed. "I don't think I could be more nervous."

Laughing lightly, she leaned forward to brush her lips over his. "I'm nervous, too." When she settled back against the pillow, she glanced down their bodies, taking in the differences. "This is all so new."

"Is it a good sort of new?"

Eyes back on him she smiled. "Better."

His boyish grin lit his face. "Good."

His throat bobbing with his swallow drew her gaze and she couldn't resist leaning up to run her tongue over the slight bulge in it, the feel of his skin against her mouth driving her mad.

"Katrina..."

The slight vibration from his voice incited a smile as she slid a hand to the back of his neck to hold him still, her enjoyment of the feel of him too much to give up.

"My love, I can't take much more of this."

Finally releasing him, she settled back down, his head quickly following as it rested against hers, leaving their eyes level.

"What's wrong?" His eyes were shut tightly, resulting in worry beginning to fill her. "Did I do something wrong?"

Eyes popping open, he released a heavy breath, the likes of which brushed over her face.

"No, my love, of course not." He brought a hand up to stroke her cheek. "You're perfect, but...that's the problem." At her frown, he continued, "This isn't going to last much longer if you keep touching me. I'm about to come undone right here."

The feeling of a blush crept over her as her eyes nervously fell to his neck. "Oh, I'm...sorry."

"No," he whispered. "It's nothing to apologize for. If I didn't so desperately want to be with you, I'd gladly let you continue doing whatever you wished with me."

Smiling, she hesitantly brought her gaze back to his before sighing. "I'm a little scared."

He frowned, his fingers brushing over her lips. "Of what?"

With a deep breath, she swallowed down her cowardice. "Well, it's just...the women have been sharing their... experiences with me."

"Experiences?" he asked, his frown deepening.

"Their...wedding nights."

His eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Oh...you...talk about that sort of thing?"

Once again, she became self-conscious. "I didn't want to, they just kept offering their stories and I was so shocked that I became slightly riveted."

His smile eased her nerves as he lightly brushed his lips over hers. "Why are you scared?"

"Well," she began, her hand coming up to rest at his neck "I know you would never purposefully hurt me, but... they said it can be quite...horrible."

"Katrina," he whispered, his hand sliding between them to reclaim its place between her thighs, pulling a shiver from her as his finger slid slightly back into her. "I sincerely doubt most of those women were as aroused as you are now."

Another blush crept over her even as her body unconsciously forced her to shift her hips into his hand, searching, only to be left wanting as he drug it back up her body.

When his slick fingers came into view, she felt another rush of desire flood through her.

"Is that not...normal?"

"Of course it is," he answered, dragging those same fingers along her jaw, the wetness remaining. "But do you honestly think, in a town where so many marriages are arranged, that those women's husbands took the time to get them as aroused as you are at this moment?"

Well, she hadn't thought of it that way.

"I suppose not," she whispered, feeling a bit foolish.

"My love." He paused until she brought her eyes back to his. There, she found so much earnest love it caused her heart to constrict. "I swear to you that I will do everything within my power to make this wonderful for you."

Nodding, she whispered, "I know." She really did know that.

With a smile, he tilted his head. "May I make love to you, now?"

His ability to lighten any situation was one she loved dearly.

Lightly laughing, she nodded. "Please."

And then it began.

His gentle kisses across her neck. His tongue dragging along her jaw where he'd left her desire for him, the action of which incited a moan from him.

"Oh, my love, your taste is exquisite," came his husky whisper.

Gripping his shoulders, she felt him shift, his manhood now pressing firmly against her center, sending all sorts of feelings to her brain informing her of how much she wanted him within her.

"Please, Ichabod..."

At her prompting, his hand slid between them again and she jerked as he ran his fingers through her desire before she felt him place his manhood against her entrance, causing anticipation to feel every inch of her being.

Eyes on her, he asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

She was more than ready. "Yes."

Ever so gently, he eased just within her, causing her body to tense at the foreign feeling. It didn't hurt, but was slightly uncomfortable.

After a moment, he slid further in, every little bit becoming more tight.

When he got to a certain point, a sharp pain hit her, resulting in her eyes slamming shut and her hands tightly gripping his shoulders.

"Katrina?"

His voice held concern as well as a strained tone to it, as if he were trying to maintain his control.

Doing her best to ignore the pain, she attempted to force herself to relax.

"It's alright," came her whisper. "Don't stop."

"Are you sure? I-"

One of her hands slid to his neck, pulling him closer to her so she could brush her lips over his.

"I promise it's alright."

At her assurance, he nodded, resting his forehead to hers. "I'll proceed slowly."

That he did, his gentle caresses and kisses setting her body at ease, his love making its presence known even through his physical touch.

By the time he was fully within her, she wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed, but it had been long enough for her pain to become a sort of dull ache.

When he began to pull out of her, the pain returned slightly, but not nearly as much, having been replaced with a more pleasurable sensation.

As he continued in his slow movements, a steady throb began to build within her lower body quite similar to the one she'd felt earlier. If that's where this was leading, she was more than beginning to anticipate it as she pulled her legs up his body, opening herself even further to him.

His lips danced across her face as one of his hands slid to support her neck, the other sliding down her body to grasp her thigh and hold it against his hip.

"Are you alright?"

The sudden sound of his voice brought her eyes open to catch his much darker than usual blue ones.

"Yes."

"I"m-" he sucked in a shaky breath. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Leaning up to capture his mouth in a deep kiss, she allowed that to be her answer to him as she slid her hands up into his hair, threading her fingers through his long locks. The truth was, it did still hurt slightly, but there was no helping that and she refused to allow him to know it. Besides, the pleasure that was mixed in with the pain made it an almost tantalizing sort of feeling.

His once steady movements began to become less controlled as his mouth abruptly left hers and his head fell to her neck.

At first, she was slightly confused at the change until she realized his hands were now gripping the sheets beneath them.

Wanting to see his eyes, she once again slid her hand to his neck as she turned her face into his, gently burrowing herself further into him until she made enough room to catch his eyes, which were tightly pressed closed.

It wasn't until she spoke that she realized just how heavy her breaths were coming.

"Ichabod?" She could barely get the word out.

His eyes remained closed prompting her to brush her lips over them.

"My love, let go."

A slight shake of his head came as did a breathless whisper. "I can't."

It was taking everything within her to form words as his quick thrusts were beginning to press harder into her, her center on the receiving end of one too many pleasurable sensations to name. "Why not?"

"Not without you."

Her husband was torturing himself for her. It was sweet, but unnecessary.

"Let go," she whispered, her lips ghosting along his jaw line.

It was as if her words were the key that unlocked the floodgates as his body began to thrust even quicker before a sudden warmth filled her and he went slack above her, his arms coming about her to hold her tightly against him, almost too tightly, but in a way that made her feel completely safe.

When he finally settled against her body and loosened his hold, his heavy breaths washed over her neck as he reclaimed his place there.

Placing chaste kisses along his shoulders and neck, she smiled at his body's shiver in response, the realization that she'd just given her most precious of gifts to a man she was completely in love with filling her with untold joy. The fact that she now had a piece of him actually inside of her was a bit overwhelming as well. Before their wedding, they'd already discussed the possibilities of children, deciding to let nature take its course if, and when, it was ready. The idea that at this very moment, they might have created another human being, a baby, caused her joy to heighten.

Eventually, he began to move again, his lips gently pressing kisses to her neck.

"I love you so much."

His quiet declaration pulled a smile from her.

"I love you, too."

After a moment, his eyes found hers and seemingly nervously danced about. "Was it alright?"

With her smile still in place, she brushed her lips over his.

"Let's just say those ladies are going to get an earful of their own and this time," she smirked. "They'll be the one's blushing."

That boyish grin of his returned as he leaned his forehead to hers, his warm breath washing over her. "Is that so?"

"Most definitely," she whispered, bringing a hand up to run through his dark locks.

He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Frowning, she pressed her head further back into the pillow so she could catch his eyes. "Whatever for?"

His sea of blue, now back to their normal shade, fell to her chest. "I couldn't help myself."

Realizing he was upset with having released before her, she smiled, resting her hand to his face.

"Ichabod..." Sliding her hand to his chin, she brought his gaze back to her. "What we just did was awkwardly perfect."

He opened his mouth in what she knew would be protestation, but she quickly pressed her finger over it.

"No, my love. We have the rest of our lives to learn how to do everything and acquaint ourselves with each other's bodies." She smiled. "I wouldn't trade not one moment of what we just did for anything."

He chuckled. "I hadn't the slightest idea of what I was doing."

That was a bit surprising to her.

"It certainly seemed like you did."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you just saying that for my pride?"

Rolling her own eyes, she laughed. "You reduced me to a mumbling mess earlier, or have you forgotten that part of this experience?"

At her words, his body shuddered slightly against hers. "No," he whispered, his hand ghosting over her lips. "I shall never forget that."

Neither would she.

Dragging her hands down his arms and then back up his slick spine, she smiled.

"I honestly can't wait until the next time I experience that."

A smirk replaced his previous worry. "Well," his lips ghosted along her jaw. "My personal mission for the night is to familiarize myself with every inch of you." Her breath hitched at his sudden desire filled eyes. "Do you have any protestation to that, Mrs. Crane?"

"Absolutely not, Mr. Crane," she whispered with a playful smile. "I know not to stand between a soldier and his mission."

A chuckle fell from him as he began trailing kisses down her throat. "Prepare for battle, my love."

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**I was iffy on the title, but couldn't help myself.. It made me chuckle.**

**Anyway, hope it was enjoyable :)**


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